Freeport, Grand Bahama Island – Three talented young people from Grand Bahama Island will be leaving on July 8th to travel with the internationally renowned travel, community service and performing arts group, Up with People. Donvarcia Duncombe, Rico Thompson, and Sharade Taylor were all offered scholarships after going through the application and vetting process. This is the first time young people from The Bahamas will travel with the group that currently represents 21 countries. Their trip will begin in Colorado where they will travel first within the United States of America for a month before heading off to Mexico and next to the Philippines.
Rico Thompson who has been seen on stage as the host and headliner of Treasure Bay Casino’s weekly variety show for two years now, worked hard to obtain funding on his own to supplement his scholarship to travel for a full year with Up with People. So determined was this young man, that he even performed a dangerous dancing act on a flatbed truck around Freeport to raise funds, along with setting up a Facebook page to solicit assistance. Thompson, a graduate of Jack Hayward High will be traveling with Up with People until June 2012. “I would like to say thank you to the many people, and businesses that have sponsored me towards such an exciting and amazing project. Their generosity and belief in me has been wonderful. I want to gain as much as possible from this trip so that I can gain experience and skill, and be able to lead a productive and creative life. When I return to my home country I will be a year older, and hopefully wiser, and will be better able to serve the community and my people,” said Rico.
The other two scholarships were awarded to members of the Grand Bahama Youth Choir. Both Donvarcia Duncombe and Sharade are looking forward to becoming ambassadors for The Bahamas during their Up with People 6 month experience. When asked how she felt about her upcoming travels, Donvarcia Duncombe of Hunters said, “As a recent graduate from Grand Bahama Catholic High School I feel honoured and thrilled that I was chosen to be a part of this prestigious organization. I feel blessed because I am at a crucial point in my life in which the decisions I make will help to determine my success in future endeavors. To me, Up with People is definitely one of those decisions,” she said.
“This is a great opportunity for me to share my culture, meet new people, and further develop my talents. It is also a pleasure to be a part of history, since I am one of the first to represent The Bahamas in Up with People and will set the pace for other Bahamians in the future. It will be made known that The Bahamas has extraordinary talent and gifted young people who are interested in building their nation.”
Six-time National Arts Festival winner, Sharade Taylor is a graduate from Jack Hayward High School where he was part of the Interact Club, Senior Choir and the Junior Achievers Program. “I am so happy and excited to be a part of such a wonderful program. Thanks to Mr. Tomlinson, Pelican Bay Hotel and the sponsors, I will have a chance to make a difference in the lives of people world-wide. I am also excited that I am going to interact with people of different cultures, ethnic backgrounds and creeds, and be able to travel to countries I would have never imagined that I would visit,” said Sharade.
Colleen Eastman, who manages Up with People’s student enrollment process, had this to say, “I have had the pleasure of working with Donvarcia, Rico and Sharade as they prepare to join our international cast this summer. We are pleased to welcome these three outstanding young people to our program, and we are confident they will serve as excellent representatives of The Bahamas, returning home after their travels with many stories and eager to take leadership roles in their community going forward.”
Sponsors who have supported the success of this endeavour, and the inaugural visit by Up with People to Grand Bahama in February 2011, are the Pelican Bay Hotel, Discovery Cruise Line, Thayers Natural Remedies, and The Bahamas Weekly. It is hoped that with each coming year, and through the support of local sponsors, The Bahamas can remain a permanent fixture within the dynamic cast of Up with People.
Up with People is an independent nonprofit, [501(c)(3)] organization without any religious or political affiliations. It provides young adults an international and intercultural experience that teaches service leadership and uses the performing arts to deliver messages of hope and goodwill throughout the world. Up with People exists today to spark people to action in meeting the needs of their communities, countries and the world while building bridges of understanding as a foundation for world peace. For more information visit www.upwithpeople.org.
The Bahamas Weekly
